‘One Soldier’s Story’ to honor former Daily Herald employee

Tuesday

As we honor the brave soldiers who fought and died on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944, Columbia residents can hear about one of their own who was there.

For the 75th anniversary of D-Day, John Notgrass, grandson of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Wesley Biddle Notgrass, will host “One Soldier’s Story” in honor of his grandfather’s service. The event will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 5 at the American Legion Post 19, located at 812 Nashville Highway.

During the program, John will don his grandfather’s World War II-era U.S. Army uniform as he “steps” into character, telling Wesley’s story in a first-person narrative. John tells stories of what it was like growing up in Tennessee in the 1920s and 1930s, the music that was popular, his grandfather’s life in Columbia, as well as sharing photographs and World War II memorabilia that have been kept in the family.

“I’ve been doing this since 2004, and do it about twice a year for a lot of different groups,” John said. “I enjoy doing it and sharing my grandfather’s story. His old uniform he got after the war still has the insignia on it, but it sat in a closet for years. I got it out, tried it on and it fit me pretty well, so I wear it and talk about what the different things indicate on it.”

Born in 1915, Wesley joined the U.S. Army in 1941 at age 26, serving four years in the U.S. and Europe. At the time of his enlistment, Wesley was an employee at The Daily Herald and taught tap-dancing. While at The Daily Herald, Wesley worked as a delivery boy starting at 15 years old, working his way up through the circulation department.

He took his position as the newspaper’s Linotype operator following the war, retiring in 1981. He died March 19, 2007 at age 92.

When Wesley was asked what job he would like to have as a solider, he answered by saying he “did not know one job from another.” He was then assigned to join the Medical Corps at Camp Lee, Virginia. This also meant he would not be able to carry a gun. John cites his grandfather’s upbringing as a Boy Scout as what contributed to his strong sense of duty, and his ability to handle just about any type of situation.

“Although his story in particular isn’t the most dramatic or sensational, he did get shot at a couple of times,” John said. “Since he was in the Medical Corps, he never had to shoot back, but he qualified as an expert marksman in basic training, but never had to use a weapon during the war.”

Once he completed training at Camp Lee, Wesley was then sent to Fort Dix, New Jersey, while his fellow soldiers were able to remain stationed near their homes. Upon arriving at Fort Dix, he was given the promise of a 10-day pass and to be out of the Army within a year. That was Dec. 6, 1941, the day before Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.

“He enlisted in the summer before Pearl Harbor thinking he would just be in the Army for a year, do his duty, get back home and back to regular life,” John said. “But then Pearl Harbor happened and he was in the Army for four years, but he made the best of it to do his duty.

“He said his goal was to get along with other people, and to make sure things run smoothly. He did what he was responsible for and tried to not cause trouble for the other soldiers and officers. I feel like he was able to accomplish that goal.”

After Pearl Harbor, the 10-day pass never happened. Instead, Wesley was sent to Governor’s Island, New York, taking part in two-years of preparations before being sent to fight Hitler’s forces in Europe. Much of that time was spent going to Broadway shows, watching movies and enjoying being a Southern boy who was “up north in the big city,” soaking up every moment he could before it was time to ship out and join the war.

That day came in October 1943, when Wesley boarded the Queen Elizabeth passenger ship for a five-day voyage to England, zigzagging across the Atlantic to avoid German submarine attacks. It was in England that, at 28 years old, he would meet his future wife, Joan Kathleen May Clark, who was 16 at the time. On April 19, 1945, they were married in the church where they first met, following Germany’s surrender from the war.

One day while stationed in Bristol, Wesley found a piece of paper containing the top-secret orders for D-Day. He was selected to arrive in France the day after the initial attack, or what is known as D-Plus 1. At night, soldiers slept in foxholes with their helmets next to their head to avoid spent ammunition casings and other debris from falling on them.

Another interesting story from that time was when Wesley attended a USO show featuring singer Dinah Shore and actor Edward G. Robinson. After the show, he overheard Shore mention to other soldiers that she was from Tennessee, at which he called out, “I am too!” She broke through the crowd and gave him a big hug and the two spent time talking about Tennessee, even discovering they had a mutual friend together.

John recounts these stories and more about his grandfather’s time of service during “One Soldier’s Story.” He said it is important to him not just to remember and honor his grandfather’s legacy, but because he believes the best lessons are learned by remembering stories of those who came before.

“Ideally, we will learn lessons from history that will help us make better decisions for the present, better for the future,” John said.

“It’s important for us to learn history, recognize the good things that we can emulate, as well as the negative things we should stay away from. My grandfather’s story in particular was the one I knew best, because I got to hear him when I was younger, when he lived with my family for 10 years. I was able to hear him talk about his experiences over and over, and they really stuck in my head.”

He is also excited to perform at the American Legion, which is the place, and the people, his grandfather considered “home.”

“My grandfather was a member of the American Legion in Columbia, got a certificate from the National American Legion in the 1990s recognizing that,” John said. “It’ll be cool to have that personal connection, that I’ll be doing this at the post where he spent most of his life after the war.”

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